Name: 2023-24 EB ANGT Finals Berlin Championship Game Highlights: U18 Real Madrid-U18 PFBB INSEP Paris
Channel: Euroleague Basketball

Enjoy triple-team coverage by two players and a coach who know the game best when the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague crowns a title-winner between Real Madrid and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in the championship game at Uber Arena in Berlin on Sunday night

 Pablo Laso, K.C. Rivers join the Players' View, championship edition! 

Enjoy triple-team coverage by two players and a coach who know the game best when the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague crowns a title-winner between Real Madrid and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in the championship game at Uber Arena in Berlin on Sunday night

The Players' View offers truly special coverage of the title-game as regular hosts Michael Roll is joined by a pair of former EuroLeague champions in FC Bayern Munich head coach Pablo Laso and one of his shooting stars from the Real Madrid team that won the EuroLeague in 2015, K. C. Rivers.

The three of them offer insights that only coaches and players can serve up for the championship game. Watch them on EuroLeague TV to also see the game while they are commentating, or follow them at the Final Four Live channel on YouTube if you want to watch the game in a separate full screen.

There's no better way to get the low-down on what's happening on the court than to listen to the live insights from the experts. The Players' View is available to EuroLeague TV subscribers, so get your pass now to make sure you don't miss any of the action.

Enjoy triple-team coverage by the players who know the game best when Panathinaikos and Fenerbahce square off in the first game at the 2024 Final Four

Pablo Laso, K.C. Rivers join the Players' View, championship edition!

Real Madrid v Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (2024-05-26T18:00:00.000Z)

"Real defended its ANGT title and made it a record five trophies by fending off a valiant effort from PFBB in an 85-84 victory. Egor Demin led Real with 26 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks while Hugo Gonzalez added 23 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals and Mitar Bosnjakovic chipped in 18 points - 16 of them coming in the second half and overtime.

For PFBB, Jonas Boulefaa scored 23 points, Nolan Traore collected 18 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists."

2023-24 EB ANGT Finals Berlin Championship Game Highlights: U18 Real Madrid-U18 PFBB INSEP Paris 

"Real defended its ANGT title and made it a record five trophies by fending off a valiant effort from PFBB in an 85-84 victory. Egor Demin led Real with 26 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks while Hugo Gonzalez added 23 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals and Mitar Bosnjakovic chipped in 18 points - 16 of them coming in the second half and overtime.

For PFBB, Jonas Boulefaa scored 23 points, Nolan Traore collected 18 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.

Real defended its ANGT title and made it a record five trophies by fending off a valiant effort from PFBB in an 85-84 victory. Egor Demin led Real with 26 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks while Hugo Gonzalez added 23 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals and Mitar Bosnjakovic chipped in 18 points - 16 of them coming in the second half and overtime.

For PFBB, Jonas Boulefaa scored 23 points, Nolan Traore collected 18 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.

U18 Real Madrid v U18 PFBB INSEP Paris (2024-05-26T10:30:00.000Z)

Coach Mateo on back-to-back titles: 'We want to do it'

Real Madrid is seeking its record 12th EuroLeague crown when it meets Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in the 2024 championship game in Berlin. *Los Blancos* were the best team during the regular season, they swept their best-of-five playoff series and jumped out to a big early lead in the semifinals against Olympiacos. Yet, all that means very little on Sunday night.

"You don't have time to celebrate, you are good as your last game", Real forward Dzanan Musa says. "Whatever happened yesterday is in the past."

What will it take to lift the trophy after Sunday's championship game?

"Panathinaikos is a great team, too", says Real coach Chus Mateo. "We have to be ready for one of the best games in the history of the Final Four."

The win on Sunday would mean Real has won its first back-to-back title in the Final Four era and *Los Blancos* are shy about it.

"It is possible and we want to do it, this is the goal we want to achieve", Coach Mateo says.

### Real clinches 12th title

#### *by Javi Gancedo*

It has been a fantastic season for Real Madrid, with basically no struggles or bad moments at any point, and it should finish with a bang, conquering the EuroLeague title. Panathinaikos has enough weapons to put up a good fight, with two elite generators like Kostas Sloukas and Kendrick Nunn, a force of nature like center Mathias Lessort and key players like Marius Grigonis and especially Ioannis Papapetrou in great shape. Real has last season's experience, and compared to the 2023 championship game, Los Blancos have Facu Campazzo, Vincent Poirier and Guerschon Yabusele this time. Real's combination of experience, depth and self-confidence is, I think, unprecedented. This version of Real Madrid is the kind of team fans will look back at in 20-30 years as one of the best ever. For that, Real needs to win tonight and win back-to-back EuroLeague titles for the first time since 1968, and I am sure ambitious players like Rudy Fernandez, Sergio Llull and Sergio Rodriguez don't want to spoil a good story. I predicted that Real would win both Final Four games by double digits, and stand by that choice. **My pick: Real**

### Panathinaikos’s Big Three to bring a seventh star to Athens

#### *by Geoff Gillingham*

For me, this year’s championship game is incredibly tough to call. On the one hand, I can imagine Real Madrid rising to the occasion and giving Rudy Fernandez the EuroLeague farewell he deserves. On the other, I can also picture Ergin Ataman raising both of his fists in the air to the Panathinaikos supporters. With the Greens’ passage to this year’s title decider, Coach Ataman has now been in four of the last five championship games. There’s a ton of experience on Real Madrid’s side, but I think that Panathinaikos will be buoyed by beating Los Blancos on their own patch in Round 27, when Ataman’s men became the first team to defeat last year’s champions on their home court. If Mathias Lessort can dominate the paint and Panathinaikos’s guard duo Kostas Sloukas and Kendrick Nunn do their thing, I believe that’ll be enough for the Greens to lift their first EuroLeague trophy since 2011. **My pick: Panathinaikos**

### Not only back-to-back, Real goes wire-to-wire

#### *by Frankie Sachs*

There is a narrative that while Real Madrid came in as the defending champion, Panathinaikos rebuilt its squad, improved throughout the season and now is on the brink of making history by winning the championship. Guess what? This is not the same Real madrid team that dominated one year ago in Kaunas. It’s better. Los Blancos also spent a season perfecting things. They have the talent, the depth and the experience to get the job done. I expect team captain Sergio Llull to invite Sergio Rodriguez and Rudy Fernandez to lift the cup with him. It will be the end of an era and it will end with the club’s 12th crown. **My pick: Real Madrid**

### The trophy will stay in Real's hands

#### *by Frank Lawlor*

Word is that Dimitris Diamantidis will be in the house tonight. Ergin Ataman might want to put him in uniform. The Panathinaikos defense rocked against Fenerbahce on Friday. It will have to rock and roll against Real Madrid on Sunday. If Facu Campazzo and Sergio Rodriguez are free to roam, the defending champs will be very hard to beat, given all the targets they can feed. If, on the other hand, Jerian Grant and maybe Panagiotis Kalaitzakis can disrupt the Real creators, Panathinaikos has a better chance. The other key for the Greens is rebounding, which means that Dinos Mitoglou will have to play a major role helping out Mathias Lessort. Whatever else, Panathinaikos must stop Real from running. Alas, the best inch-for-inch defender in EuroLeague history, Diamantidis, will not be in uniform. For that reason, I see Real going back-to-back and being the first modern EuroLeague team to lead from tipoff to final buzzer over a full season. **My pick: Real Madrid.**

### Get ready for Green party in Berlin

#### *by Igor Petrinovic*

One game for all the glory! On one side it is Real Madrid, its offense and an incredible experience of playing in these types of games. On the other, it is Panathinaikos and the defense that allowed only 57 points in the semifinals. As much as Los Blancos have experience, that's how much Panathinaikos lacks it. Apart from Kostas Sloukas and coach Ergin Ataman who feel comfortable in the Final Four championship games, it is a group of players who have not previously been in this situation in their careers before. But the Greens seem determined to make that inexperience irrelevant, and they certainly have the tools to beat Real. They proved that in regular season when they embraced that run-and-gun style, and scored 97 points in a win in Madrid. I think EuroLeague trophy goes to Athens after 13 years, and Kendrick Nunn will be the one holding Final Four MVP trophy when the night ends. **My** **pick: Panathinaikos.**

Bold predictions: Predicting the Championship Game

The 2024 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Championship Game is getting closer! Only a few hours remain before Real Madrid and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens meet for the continental crown. 

The experts predict championship game winner

On Sunday afternoon, we asked some former players and experts on the matter what they expect from the championship game, who they expect to win and who they think will be chosen as the Final Four MVP.

The two time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion and the 2022 EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic is in Berlin and looking forward to the championship game between Real Madrid and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens. In an exclusive interview with [EuroLeague.net](http://EuroLeague.net), Micic gives his take on the matchup, and who he thinks will win the EuroLeague crown on Sunday night.

Vasilije Micic predicts the Championship Game

Final Four Ambassador Ramunas Siskauskas, who won two EuroLeague titles and was chosen as the 2008 EuroLeague MVP, expects a close game between the best two teams this season playing the best basketball. When it comes to picking, Siskauskas gives a 51-49% advantage to one team – Real Madrid.

Ramunas Siskauskas predicts Championship Game

Rimantas Kaukenas, the GM of Wolves Vilnius and a veteran of eight EuroLeague seasons between 2005 and 2014 has a clear favorite. One of those seasons was spent with Real Madrid and he both believes and wants Los Blancos to repeat as champion.

Rimantas Kaukenas predicts Championship Game

Jan Jagla, a Berlin native, won the EuroCup with Joventut Badalona in 2008.  He recalls fondly his time there alongside Rudy Fernandez, whom he will be rooting for tonight in the championship game. When asked about what he expects from the championship game, the veteran of four EuroLeague seasons said he was leaning towards Rudy’s team in what will be the swingman’s final EuroLeague appearance.

Jan-Hendrik Jagla predicts the Championship Game

The experts predict the championship game winner

The Panathinaikos guard is in select company with his achievements at the Final Four

Kostas Sloukas continues making history

[Kostas Sloukas](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/kostas-sloukas/001926/) of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens already belongs to the golden pages of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague record books. By making it to his eighth championship game, Sloukas has done something that no player has achieved since the late 1970s.

Sloukas has played for the title with Olympiacos Piraeus in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2023 and with Fenerbahce Istanbul in 2016, 2017 and 2018. 

Entering this season, Sloukas was tied with Matjaz Smodis for the most championship game appearances of the current century with seven. Smodis made two with Virtus Bologna (2001, 2002), another with Fortitudo Bologna (2004) and four with CSKA Moscow (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009). Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Llull will also be playing their respective seventh championship games with Real Madrid on Sunday.

You have to go way back to find players with at least eight championship game appearances; most of them are from Pallacanestro Varese, which reached 10 consecutive European Cup finals from 1970 to 1979. Dino Meneghin leads the list with 13 championship game appearances - 10 with Varese and three with Olimpia Milan. Only Aldo Ossola (10) and Clifford Luyk (9) have been to more top-tier championship games since the introduction of pan-European competitions in 1958.

Sloukas has a golden chance to win the EuroLeague title with three different teams. He previously lifted the trophy with Olympiacos (2012, 2013) and Fenerbahce (2017). Sarunas Jasikevicius is the only other player to win the EuroLeague with three different teams: FC Barcelona (2003), Maccabi Tel Aviv (2004, 2005) and Panathinaikos (2009).

Sloukas can also become the 17th player ever to win four or more EuroLeague titles. Only two players have won four titles in the 21st century: Jasikevicius and Kyle Hines, who was Sloukas's Olympiacos teammate in 2012 and 2013, and won it again with CSKA in 2016 and 2019.

From a statistical perspective, Sloukas is also cementing his status among the greats. He is ranked second in free throws, third in assists, fifth in PIR and seventh in scoring among all players in Final Four games this century. With 49 free throws, Sloukas is 10 behind Nando De Colo for the most in Final Four history. His 64 assists trail only two of his opponents tonight, Sergio Llull (70) and Sergio Rodriguez (74). With PIR, he has 172 and needs 17 to catch Theo Papaloukas for fourth. And in points scored, Sloukas has 167, but with 13 points would leapfrog Juan Carlos Navarro, Langdon and De Colo into fourth place. 

At age 34, Sloukas is in his first season with Panathinaikos. He signed a three-year deal, which gives him a chance to keep adding more trophies and milestones to his already outstanding career.

Kostas Sloukas continues making history 

The two have joined forces again, having worked together on a project in Athens and Istanbul over the last three seasons

One Team, BKT come together to open refurbished court in Berlin

The power of One Team grows further each year and even more so when a partner such as BKT is ready to help take things to the next level. On Friday afternoon, One Team and BKT collaborated once again to help refurbish a basketball court at Lisa-Tetzner Schule elementary school, with the aim of helping improve the lives of youngsters who are in need or at risk of exclusion.

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague club ALBA Berlin has been working with Lisa-Tetzner Schule for the last few seasons as it looks to provide support for socially disadvantaged children and young teenagers in a socio-economically challenging environment. With the Final Four coming to Berlin, One Team and BKT came together and decided to provide an improved space for locals to play.

"It's a great pleasure to be here to inaugurate this great basketball court," said Lucia Salmaso, Managing Director of BKT Europe. "When \[One Team\] decided to approach us regarding sponsorship, we could not believe the impact that this sponsorship can have on a community. I believe that BKT has demonstrated with actions these projects have a great meaning for us. This is the third project that we have created along with One Team, and it is proof that we can do better to support the growth of communities. I hope that this court will bring a lot of happiness, joy, growth and opportunity to all the kids, to all the students and to all the residents of this neighborhood."

"I'm incredibly excited and proud that we have been able to open a third refurbished court thanks to our partnership with BKT," added Abigail Martin, Director of Sustainability and Development Projects at Euroleague Basketball. "These are honestly the best days for me. I would like to give a big thank you to ALBA Berlin, to Lisa-Tetzner Schule elementary school, and to specially Lucia and the BKT team for helping to make all of this possible. These projects are one of the highlights of the Final Four, as the social work put in by many different people comes together and ends up with a lot of excited individuals, in this case children. We are so, so thankful for everyone's efforts and we would love to have more of these community-committed projects in the future."

During Friday’s event, the participants took part in some One Team drills and featured in an exhibition tournament that was held by ALBA’s One Team Coaches. Former ALBA center Patrick Femerling, who played for the club over three spells and won a EuroLeague title with FC Barcelona in 2003, was present at the event, as was four-year former EuroLeague guard Heiko Schaffartzik. They both joined in with the activities with the children and were delighted with the work done by One Team.

"It was a lot of fun because the kids had a lot of fun," commented Heiko Schaffartzik. "The only reason why the kids could have fun is because the court exists. Without the court, the kids wouldn't be able to have this experience. Patrick Femerling is here and the EuroLeague is here. Next week they will not be, but the court will still be here, so they can still have fun and play by themselves. They're very enthusiastic kids here, they're really competitive and they really enjoy playing basketball, so this is a fantastic thing for the community."

This is the third straight year in which One Team and BKT have gone hand in hand to refurbish a court and help the community as a result, having improved the Kypseli court in Athens and given children there a new home where they can play basketball and have fun with friends. Also, in the 2021-22 season, the partnership between One Team and BKT saw the refurbishment of two courts at the TEB Atasehir Anatolian High School, the social partner of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul for that season.

In addition to giving back to Berlin by helping to take this basketball court to another level, One Team is also putting on a session featuring Final Four players at Kraftwerk on Saturday and Sunday, which will feature some of the biggest names at the Final Four, along with the participation of the Final Four Ambassadors.

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The Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals is off and running at Uber Eats Music Hall in Berlin. Catch all the games live on YouTube and follow commentary from international junior basketball expert David Hein on EuroLeague.net throughout the weekend!

ANGT Championship Game: Real Madrid wins back-to-back titles!

### Olympiacos Piraeus

**Streaks**

Thomas Walkup has at least 1 steal in nine straight games.

Shaquielle McKissic has at least 1 steal in eight straight games.

Nigel Williams-Goss has at least 1 steal in five of his last six games.

**Season rankings**

Nikola Milutinov ranks third in offensive rebounding with 2.4 per game.

Thomas Walkup ranks second in steals with 1.6 per game.

Fall leads the league in two-point accuracy at 79.3%.

Moustapha Fall ranks third in blocks with 1.3 per game.

Isaiah Canaan ranks eighth in average three-pointers made with 2.3 per game.

Alec Peters ranks second in three-point shooting at 52.6%.

Olympiacos has allowed a league-low 74.7 points per game.

Olympiacos has held opponents to 51.6% two-point shooting, which is second lowest in the league.

**Records/Milestones**

Kostas Papanikolaou is second to Nick Calathes (310) of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in games started with 309.

Papanikolaou is in ninth place all-time with 303 steals. Sergio Rodriguez of Real Madrid is eighth with 309 and counting.

Moustapha Fall ranks second all-time in two-point accuracy at 72.7%.

Thomas Walkup ranks 15th all-time with a 2.5-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Alec Peters ranks 13th all-time in free-throw shooting at 89.3%.

Peters ranks sixth all-time in three-point accuracy at 45.3%.

Nikola Milutinov is ranked seventh all-time with 571 offensive rebounds. Walter Tavares of Real Madrid is sixth with 608 and counting.

Walkup is ranked 15th all-time in assists with 901. Daniel Hackett is 14th with 910 assists.

Kostas Papanikolaou is tied with Vasilije Micic for 11th place in Final Fours this century with 19 three-point shots made. Jaycee Carroll and David Blu are tied for ninth place with 21 triples apiece.

Papanikolaou ranks 10th in Final Fours this century with 52 rebounds. Ioannis Bourousis is ninth with 53 rebounds.

Papanikolaou is 15th in Final Fours this century with 17 offensive rebounds. Nikola Mirotic and Brandon Davies are tied for 13th with 18 offensive rebounds apiece.

Kostas Papanikolaou is tied with Kostas Sloukas of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens and Rudy Fernandez of Real Madrid for 12th place in Final Fours this century with 35 defensive rebounds.

Papanikolaou is tied with Marko Jaric and Jaka Lakovic for 13th place in Final Fours this century with 10 steals. Nick Calathes is 12th with 11 steals.

### Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul

**Streaks**

Nigel Hayes-Davis has scored 10 or more points in 13 of his last 14 games.

Hayes-Davis has made at least 1 triple in 13 of his last 14 games.

Scottie Wilbekin has made at least 1 three-point shot in seven of his last eight games.

Wilbekin has made 11 consecutive free throws. 

Marko Guduric has made at least 1 three-point shot in eight straight games.

Guduric has scored in double figures in five of his last six games.

Nick Calathes has made at least 1 three-pointer in six straight games.

Calathes has at least 1 steal in six of his last seven games.

Calathes has double-digit PIRs in five of his last six games.

**Season rankings**

Marko Guduric ranks ninth in free throw shooting at 90.1%.

Scottie Wilbekin ranks second in average three-pointers made with 3.0 per game.

Tarik Biberovic leads the league in three-point shooting at 53.1%.

Tyler Dorsey ranks 10th in three-point shooting at 45.7%.

Nick Calathes ranks 10th in assists with 4.8 per game.

Georgios Papagiannis ranks ninth in two-point shooting at 67.0%.

Fenerbahce leads the league in three-point shots made with 11.4 per game.

Fenerbahce leads the league in three-point accuracy at 39.1%.

**Records/Milestones**

Nigel Hayes-Davis set the all-time EuroLeague single-game scoring record with 50 points in a victory over ALBA Berlin in Round 32.

Nick Calathes is the EuroLeague all-time leader in assists with 2,081.

Calathes set the EuroLeague single-season record in 2018-19 with 286 total assists.

Calathes is the EuroLeague all-time leader in steals with 449.

Calathes is the all-time leader with 310 career games started.

Calathes ranks sixth all-time with a 2.6-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Calathes ranks sixth all-time with 4,234 index rating points. Kyle Hines is fifth with 4,299.

Calathes is ranked 15th all-time in scoring with 3,233 points. Paulius Jankunas is 14th with 3,241 points.

Scottie Wilbekin is ranked 16th all-time in scoring with 3,163 points.

Calathes needs 6 two-point shots made to reach 1,000 for his career.

Scottie Wilbekin ranks fourth all-time in three-point shots made with 604. Sergio Rodriguez of Real Madrid ranks third with 608 three-point shots made and counting.

Georgios Papagiannis ranks seventh all-time with 213 blocks. Tibor Pleiss of Anadolu Efes Istanbul is sixth with 228 blocks.

Papagiannis ranks 15th all-time in two-point accuracy at 64.1%.

Melih Mahmutoglu needs 12 points to reach 1,000 for his career.

Dyshawn Pierre needs 1 three-point shot made to reach 100 for his career.

Nick Calathes ranks 10th in Final Fours this century in assists with 44. Victor Khryapa and JR Holden are tied for eighth with 45 apiece while Dimitris Diamantidis, Saras Jasikevicius and Milos Teodosic are all tied for fifth with 46 assists apiece.

Sertac Sanli is tied for 19th place in Final Fours this century with 5 blocks.

Game Videos

Game News

After falling short in Friday’s semifinals, Olympiacos Piraeus and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul will look to close out their season with a victory in the third-place game. Both teams are 0-2 in third place games this century.

Game Facts: Olympiacos vs. Fenerbahce

Olympiacos Piraeus v Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2024-05-26T15:00:00.000Z)

### Real Madrid

**Streaks**

Facundo Campazzo has PIRs of at least 10 in eight straight games.

Campazzo has more than 5 assists in six of his last seven games.

Campazzo has at least 1 steal in six of his last seven games.

Mario Hezonja has made at least 1 triple in 10 straight games.

Hezonja has made multiple three-pointers in nine of his last 10 games.

Hezonja has at least 1 steal in seven straight games.

Walter Tavares has at least 1 block in six of his last seven games.

Tavares has double-digit PIRs in six of his last seven games.

Guerschon Yabusele has made at least 1 triple in seven of his last eight games.

**Season rankings**

Walter Tavares leads the league in blocks with 1.54 per game and Vincent Poirier is second with 1.50 per game.

Tavares ranks sixth in rebounding with 6.5 per game.

Tavares is tied for fifth in offensive rebounding with 2.3 per game and Poirier is seventh with 2.2 per game.

Facundo Campazzo ranks second in assists with 6.6 per game.

Campazzo ranks sixth in steals with 1.3 per game.

Mario Hezonja ranks fifth in free throw shooting at 92.0%.

Hezonja ranks ninth in three-pointers made with 2.2 per game.

Guerschon Yabusele ranks ninth in three-point shooting at 46.5%.

Gabriel Deck ranks fourth in two-point shooting at 68.4% and Poirier ranks sixth at 68.1%.

Real leads the league in average team PIR with 108.3 per game.

Real leads the league in scoring with 88.9 points per game.

Real leads the league in assists with 20.7 per game.

Real leads the league in rebounding with 36.6 per game.

Real leads the league in defensive rebounds with 26.8 per game.

Real leads the league in blocks with 3.7 per game.

Real ranks second in the league in free-throw shooting at 81.4%.

Real ranks second in the league in two-point shooting accuracy at 58.1%.

Real ranks third with 10.4 three-pointers made per game.

Real has held opponents to a league-low 50.8% two-point shooting.

**Records/Milestones**

Walter Tavares blocked 88 shots last season to set the all-time single-season record.

Tavares is the competition's all-time leader in blocks with 420.

Tavares is sixth all-time in two-point accuracy at 67.7%.

Tavares ranks fifth all-time with 1,610 rebounds. Jan Vesely of FC Barcelona is fourth with 1,693 rebounds.

Tavares is ranked sixth all-time with 608 offensive rebounds. Othello Hunter is fifth with 611.

Sergio Llull ranks fifth all-time in scoring with 3,945 points. Juan Carlos Navarro is fourth with 4,152.

Sergio Rodriguez ranks seventh all-time with 3,761 points scored. Jan Vesely is sixth with 3,831.

Rodriguez is second all-time with 1,872 assists. Nick Calathes of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is the all-time leader with 2,081 and counting.

Llull is sixth all-time with 1,393 assists. Milos Teodosic of Crvena Zvezda is fifth with 1,439.

Llull ranks 11th all-time with 701 free throws made. Shane Larkin of Anadolu Efes Istanbul is 10th with 746.

Llull ranks third all-time with a 2.7-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio.

Facundo Campazzo ranks 11th all-time with a 2.5-to-1 career assist-to-turnover ratio, while Rudy Fernandez is 16th with a 2.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, and Rodriguez is 19th with a 2.4-to-1 ratio.

Llull is the all-time leader in three-point shots made with 630.

Rodriguez is third all-time with 608 three-point shots made. Juan Carlos Navarro is second with 623.

Rudy Fernandez is fifth all-time with 594 three-point shots made. Scottie Wilbekin of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul is fourth with 604 and counting.

Fernandez is ranked third all-time with 364 steals. Dimitris Diamantidis is second with 434 steals.

Rodriguez is in eighth place all-time with 309 career steals. Pablo Prigioni is seventh with 322.

Fernandez needs 22 rebounds to reach 1,000 for his career.

Fernandez needs 3 free throws made to reach 500 for his career.

Rodriguez is in ninth place all-time with 4,088 index rating points. Paulius Jankunas is eighth all-time with 4,183 index rating points.

Dzanan Musa made 178 free throws during the 2022-23 season to set a single-season EuroLeague record.

Llull has made 406 EuroLeague appearances, second all-time behind only Kyle Hines with 425. Rodriguez is third all-time in games played with 404.

Sergio Llull is the leader in Final Fours this century in scoring with 207 points. Rodriguez is second with 198 points.

Rodriguez ranks third in Final Fours this century in accumulated PIR with 194. Kyle Hines is second with 198.

Llull is tied for sixth in Final Fours this century in accumulated PIR with 170. Kostas Sloukas of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens is fifth with 172 and counting.

Sergio Rodriguez is the leader in Final Fours this century in assists with 74 and Llull is second with 70.

Rudy Fernandez is tied with Pablo Prigioni for 12th place in Final Fours this century in assists with 37. Vassilis Spanoulis is 11th with 39.

Facundo Campazzo is in 16th place in Final Fours this century in assists with 31 assists. Nando De Colo is 15th with 33.

Rodriguez is the leader in Final Fours this century with 32 three-point shots made. Llull is fourth with 28.

Fernandez is tied with Victor Khryapa for 14th place in Final Fours this century with 17 three-point shots made. Cory Higgins of FC Barcelona is 13th with 18.

Rodriguez is in ninth place in Final Fours this century with 42 free throws made. Llull is tied with Matjaz Smodis and Theo Papaloukas for sixth with 43 free throws made apiece.

Lull ranks sixth in Final Fours this century with 40 two-point shots made. Mike Batiste is fifth with 44.

Fernandez is in second place in Final Fours this century with 23 steals. J.R. Holden is first with 24 steals.

Walter Tavares is the leader in Final Fours this century in blocks with 19.

Vincent Poirier is tied for 13th place in Final Fours this century with 6 blocks.

Tavares ranks sixth in Final Fours this century with 61 rebounds. Jan Vesely is fifth with 64.

Fernandez is in 12th place in Final Fours this century with 49 rebounds. Maceo Baston is 11th with 50.

Tavares is tied with Felipe Reyes in fifth place in Final Fours this century with 22 offensive rebounds. Jan Vesely is fourth with 24 offensive rebounds.

Tavares ranks ninth in Final Fours this century with 39 defensive rebounds. Vesely is eighth with 40 defensive rebounds.

Fernandez is tied for 12th in Final Fours this century with 35 defensive rebounds.

### Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens

**Streaks**

Mathias Lessort has scored at least 10 points in five of his last six games.

Lessort has pulled down at least 5 rebounds in six straight and 20 of his last 21 games.

Lessort has PIRs of 10 or more in eight straight games.

Kendrick Nunn has scored at least 10 points in 20 of his last 21 games.

Nunn has made at least 1 three-point shot in 13 of his last 14 games.

Nunn has made multiple three-point shots in 13 of his last 14 games.

Nunn has double-digit PIRs in 10 of his last 11 games.

**Season rankings**

Mathias Lessort ranks second in average index rating with 19.6 per game.

Kendrick Nunn ranks sixth in scoring with 15.9 points per game.

Nunn leads the league in free throw shooting at 95.7%.

Marius Grigonis ranks 10th in free throw shooting at 90.0%.

Lessort ranks seventh in rebounding with 6.3 per game and Konstantinos Mitoglou ranks eighth with 6.2 per game.

Lessort ranks fourth in offensive rebounding with 2.4 per game.

Kostas Sloukas ranks fifth in assists with 5.6 per game.

Jerian Grant ranks third in steals with 1.5 per game.

Panathinaikos ranks third in the league in three-point shooting at 38.7%.

Panathinaikos has allowed 77.3 points per game, which is the second lowest in the league.

Panathinaikos has held opponents to a league-low 33.7% three-point shooting.

**Records/Milestones**

Kostas Sloukas ranks third all-time with 1,697 assists. Sergio Rodriguez of Real Madrid is second with 1,872 and counting.

Sloukas is in fifth place all-time with 900 free throws made. Felipe Reyes is fourth with 967.

Sloukas is ranked eighth all-time with 3,673 career points. Sergio Rodriguez is seventh with 3,761 and counting.

Sloukas is ranked fourth all-time with 4,557 index rating points. Mike James of AS Monaco is third with 4,723 and counting.

Sloukas ranks 16th all-time in free-throw accuracy at 88.7%.

Marius Grigonis ranks seventh all-time in free-throw accuracy at 90.5%.

Grigonis ranks 19th all-time in three-point accuracy at 43.2%.

Luca Vildoza needs 5 assists to reach 500 for his career.

Kostas Sloukas ranks third in Final Fours this century in assists with 64. Sergio Llull of Real Madrid is second with 70 and counting and Sergio Rodriguez of Real Madrid is the leader with 74.

Sloukas is fifth in Final Fours this century in accumulated PIR with 172. Theo Papaloukas is fourth with 189.

Sloukas is ranked second in Final Fours this century with 49 free throws made each. Nando De Colo is the leader with 59.

Sloukas ranks seventh in Final Fours this century in scoring with 167 points. Juan Carlos Navarro is sixth with 168 points and Trajan Langdon is fifth with 172.

Sloukas ranks ninth in Final Fours this century with 35 two-pointers made. Nando De Colo is eighth with 36 two-pointers made.

Sloukas is tied with De Colo and Shane Larkin for 16th place in Final Fours this century with 16 three-point shots made. Victor Khryapa and Rudy Fernandez of Real Madrid are tied for 14th with 17 apiece.

Kostas Sloukas is tied with Kostas Papanikolaou of Olympiacos Piraeus and Rudy Fernandez for 12th place in Final Fours this century with 35 defensive rebounds. Milos Teodosic and Mike Batiste are tied for 10th with 38 defensive rebounds apiece.

For the first time since the current competition format was introduced in 2016, the top two teams from the regular season will meet in the championship game. Real Madrid topped the standings all seasons after winning its first 10 games and finished with a 27-7 mark while Panathinaikos soared late to place second at 23-11.

Game Facts: Madrid vs. Panathinaikos

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens looks to end a lengthy championship drought when it faces Real Madrid in the EuroLeague Championship. After using a strong start and finish to dispose of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Friday’s semifinal, Coach Ergin Ataman states that “our goal is to win the finale… we are not scared of anything.”

Mathias Lessort, Panathinaikos: ‘We have to leave our heart on the court’

Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens looks to end a lengthy championship drought when it faces Real Madrid in the EuroLeague Championship. After using a strong start and finish to dispose of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in Friday’s semifinal, Coach Ergin Ataman states that “our goal is to win the finale… we are not scared of anything.”

All-EuroLeague center Mathias Lessort is confident of the Greens’ chances: “Madrid is the favorite. They have been favorite all year. We saw this year that we can match them. Just have to make them uncomfortable.”

The stands at Uber Arena will be packed with Panathinaikos supporters and according to Lessort, that can be the Greens’ secret weapon.

“Having the fans behind you to push you helps you to make the extra effort on defense, to jump higher, to get extra rebounds. When you get tired, just hear them pushing you gives you that extra boost that you might need to win,” Lessort said. “It’s gonna 40 minutes of basketball. It’s not rocket science or anything… We have to leave our heart on the court”

One of the best parts about Final Four weekend – apart from the basketball on the court – is when the players from the four clubs come along to enjoy a One Team session. This year, that took place at the FanZone on Saturday morning, with plenty of fans also present to see some of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague’s biggest stars join forces with the One Team participants from ALBA Berlin.

Final Four stars thrilled One Team participants at the FanZone

One of the best parts about Final Four weekend – apart from the basketball on the court – is when the players from the four clubs come along to enjoy a One Team session. This year, that took place at the FanZone on Saturday morning, with plenty of fans also present to see some of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague’s biggest stars join forces with the One Team participants from ALBA Berlin.

Enjoying the activities were Juancho Hernangomez and Kostas Antetokounmpo from Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, Eli Ndiaye from Real Madrid, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul duo Nigel Hayes-Davis and Georgios Papagiannis, and Olympiacos Piraeus pair Kostas Papanikolaou and Giannoulis Larentzakis.

The players joined ALBA’s One Team participants for some One Team drills that were led by ALBA’s One Team coaches, which instantly brought lots of smiles to everyone’s faces.

“It’s always good to give back and do nice things, to try to be a face, a pillar in the community, an inspiration and try to spread joy,” said Nigel Hayes-Davis. “It’s always good to get out and do something like this. The main goal is to make sure the kids enjoy themselves, and I think they had a good time today. They were playing basketball with people they watch play on TV. Perhaps some of the kids look up to some of us as idols or some of their favorite players, so to be able to get out there and interact with them, take pictures, play games is hopefully an experience that will inspire them and be something that they’ll remember and enjoy.” 

Once all the drills had finished, an exhibition game took place as the Final Four players were split between the two teams, with ALBA’s One Team participants also being split across the two teams. The kids were able to receive passes from their favorite places and try to score, or vice versa. The stuff of dreams!

“I’m really happy that I could take part \[today\],” noted Juancho Hernangomez. “I’ve had a really good year \[assisting with One Team\] with my team, Panathinaikos, and it’s truly an honor for me to help. I’m really glad, really happy. It fills me with joy, I love doing things to help people. Even just being with them in a photo, a video is something great for them. To bring a smile to their faces is the best feeling there is.”

ALBA’s One Team program this season aims to support socially disadvantaged children and young teenagers from the Lisa-Tetzner-Schule elementary school, which is located in a socio-economically challenging area of Berlin.

“You can see how much everyone enjoys it – from the players to the kids,” commented Kostas Papanikolaou. “It’s an amazing thing, it’s an amazing initiative. It started many years ago and still up to this day, it provides a lot of smiles, a lot of good things for everyone. I really, really enjoy being here and participating in these events.”

The One Team program implemented by ALBA is embedded in the club’s nationwide SPORT VERNETZT initiative, a project which seeks to bring the community together and help them develop an excitement for physical activities, as well as use basketball as a tool to focus on teamwork, integration, motivation communication and tolerance.

“It’s incredible that we can help the kids, that they enjoy themselves with us and that they can play with us,” added Eli Ndiaye. “It’s an honor to share this experience with them. The truth is that that it’s great as the kids get to have fun in an incredible way.”

 Members from all four clubs attended on Saturday morning

With his big brother Giannis seated court-side, Kostas Antetokounmpo entered his first Final Four game ever on Friday and immediately registered a sky-walking block for a Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens team that was on its way to victory. "I didn't get to see my brothers action, because I was yelling at the crowd, but they told me it was pretty crazy," Kostas says. "There are a lot of nerves in the Final Four, but once the clock starts, everything goes away for me. Once I go on the court, I'm ready to give everything I've got."

 All angles of Kostas Antetokounmpo's walk-on block 

Euroleague Basketball President Paulius Motiejunas and President Dejan Bodiroga speak to the media in Berlin

**Dejan Bodiroga's, Euroleague Basketball President opening remarks**

Welcome everyone to the EuroLeague Final Four here in Berlin. One of the unique strengths of the EuroLeague is our close relationship with you. We share a passion for basketball and thank you for your hard work in covering our sport. We look forward to answering your questions. But before we start, I’d like to give you some insights into the status of the Euroleague and our plans for the future.

This has been another record-breaking season. We continue to grow in all aspects. We had record attendance. We doubled our digital audience and fan engagement. And we continue to significantly grow our TV audiences globally.

One new addition that has contributed to this growth is the Play-in Showdown. With the Play-In Showdown, a little more than half of the teams in the EuroLeague get to extend their season, with the best six assured of direct advancement to the playoffs. This adds value to both the clubs and our fans. We will continue developing our sports products to ensure a premium experience for everyone.

I’d like to thank the clubs, players, and coaches for their commitment and hard work. The success of the EuroLeague is based on close and respectful cooperation between all our stakeholders. And this season proves that we are stronger and more united than ever.

We are also taking important steps to improve and grow our EuroCup competition. We believe there is a lot of unlocked potential that we will continue to work on and invest in.

For EuroLeague management, this has also been an important season. The transition phase is over and Paulius and I have received the backing and foundation needed to take our organization to the next level.

As we look forward to celebrating the end of this fantastic season with an unforgettable final game, we already have our eyes on the future.

The EuroLeague is a unique sports product. We are a hybrid of the European and American sports models. This structure gives us the possibility to create powerful partnerships that will strengthen our position all over the world.

As previously discussed, we continue to examine investment opportunities and geographic expansion. The interest in the EuroLeague is higher than ever, from commercial entities, host cities, teams, top players, and a global fanbase.

The critical task for us now is to set the right strategy, create a robust structure, and manage all these opportunities with respect for the integrity of our sport and stakeholders. We also continue strengthening our position in the basketball ecosystem while maintaining good and respectful relations.

Ahead of us in the 25th season of the EuroLeague. This is an important milestone that we will use to launch our new plans and initiatives.

To succeed we must be united and loyal to the common vision of becoming a global leader in the sports and entertainment business.

And just as our players enter the court full of courage and dreams of winning, so must we in the management enter our offices. I can assure you that from my side, I am, as always, ready to win!

I’d like to give the word to Paulius before we open the floor for questions. Thank you.

**Paulius Motiejunas, Euroleague Baskeball CEO**

Thank you, Dejan. Hello, everyone. Nothing much to add. Very happy to see you. Hope you still have energy. I hope you get some rest tonight and ready for tomorrow.

I will start probably with the elephant in the room about yesterday. Not the start that we wanted. To give a little bit explanation, I saw you covered it really well. Before opening the doors, you saw that a group of fans tried to storm the arena, which they managed to do, and that's when the whole process stopped to go out of hands and what we expected.

So as you saw, the police got in the way, they got everything under control, but it took time. After that, we postponed the game one time, second time. But I need to say that the main priority for us was the safety of our fans, which we managed to guarantee with the help of security and police and everybody here in Berlin. So not the start that we wanted.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a much easier and much better day and many things to learn for us as a management and we hope we can avoid these things in the future and it will not not be the subject of the Final Four.

#### Q:  About weighting the historic clubs against new markets when planning for the future

Motiejunas: I wish I could lay out the full plan to say simply we keep talking that the league has a lot more potential. When I was in a club, I kept hearing this and I want to see what's that potential and when we talk about investment, we're looking for strategic partner to help us grow and by grow we mean there are ways to grow. You've heard the story so many times. We want Paris we want Berlin we want UK. So these still remain the key markets we want to grow in. We have potential from the Middle East that we are trying to untap. So we want to grow in size of sponsorship, TV deals then new events that we want to include and organize not only the Final Four but something else as well.

So we want to untap that. And in the investment process that we're doing, so it would be two ways. Some investment to help the clubs improve their arenas, improve their revenues from merchandising, catering, whatever individually they need to do. And the other side is that we grow as a league and take more things in-house, which includes digital and other productions, not only the live games, ANGT and junior system. So I don't want to go into the details because this is something that's a work in progress, but these are the key areas.

####  Q: About the cooperation with FIBA

Motiejunas: We signed an agreement. It was the first agreement properly I signed last year. And it was a one-year deal. We stopped for the February windows. The clubs had to have another double week to be able to let the players go for the national competition. We had many talks with FIBA. We still have a meeting in the start of June. So this is a work in progress. The way I look at it, we haven't had such a close relationship for I don't know past 10 years maybe. So we did a step forward. We know what they want. We know what we want from them and we are trying to find a balance and how we grow the product because that's the intention when we sit at one table. We want to grow the product so that you can enjoy, the fans can enjoy and it would be better for basketball. So it's a work in progress. We are optimistic. We're happy to continue talking. And obviously, like I said, improving the product for the fans is the key thing we want to achieve.

Bodiroga: After so many years, we had in the last year, I think, seven or eight meetings together, and we want to find the best solution for both sides. The relation is very good with them, but from the other side, we want to protect also our shareholders, and we want to try to find the best solution for all.

#### Q: About 20-year licenses and potential club stagnation

 Motiejunas: You know me. We will not leave the teams alone. The league improves only if the teams improve. We mentioned this 20-year period only to have stability and to have certainty that we are sticking together. Like Dejan said, unity is the key issue between the clubs, but improvement is the mission of the management. So we need to improve as a league. We will improve, we will change as league management. And the clubs will have to follow and I'm sure they will follow because it's not in our interest. It's an interest on the product. It's an interest to, like I mentioned, for them to be making more revenues. So it's not to get them and say, okay, now you're here and enjoy the show. No, we have to row this boat together with the clubs and the management. And this is what we will do.

#### Q: About moving from Final Four to series

Motiejunas: We read the news. We know there is a lot of discussion. We like the model that we can come to different cities. We like the model that we see a sea of red, a sea of green, and something that we cannot get if we play at the same places that we are. So the EuroLeague Final Four is the tip of the iceberg. It's the cherry on the cake that we have. We love the product. We don't want to change. And I know there's a lot of discussion about the competition, but if we take the playoffs, Fenerbahce won, fifth game, so last game, after overtime, by 1 point. Olympiacos won the fifth game by 4 points. So we can continue to give them best of 11. But it will still be decided by the last game. But this is the beauty of EuroLeague. That's why we do it. So we really believe that with the Final Four, we can get the chance for different cities that would normally not have a chance to have even the ones who don't have the teams can have this wonderful event. So it's something that we don't want to change.

####  Q: About the police dogs near the benches on Friday

Motiejunas: We are aware of the situation that you are talking about. It's something that we discussed today and it will not happen tomorrow. Again, it was the reaction for the safety after what happened in the first place. Sometimes it's an overreaction. I wish we had overreacted at the beginning, so maybe it would not have been the situation that we were in with all the delays. But it will not happen tomorrow. 

#### Q:  About finalizing EuroLeague team lineup earlier in the year

Motiejunas: I wore the hat of the club for many years and this is what we are talking and we understand that this is the situation that is not favorable to the clubs. This uncertainty is definitely not good for the clubs because of it. They don't know how to talk to the sponsors, they don't know how to talk to the players, they don't know how to do the ticket sales. Next year, unfortunately, we will not change things. It will still be a one-year license to these clubs. But we are looking at the opportunity to have longer wildcards, let's say, not for one year, but maybe three to five years, which could bring some stability to the clubs that need to invest and grow.

#### Q:  About young players developing in Europe and clubs not benefitting from the investment

Motiejunas: The second question, it's FIBA, it's NBA. What is happening now in the sport. It's completely turning upside down. You see what the NCAA is doing and how they are changing with the salaries. Again, I know the salaries that the players make because I've been in this business and what they're offering now is completely nuts and it breaks the market and there's no motivation for the clubs to keep growing the young players.

But this is something on the table with FIBA as well. It's not easy to find a solution. NBA and NCAA, we all have to find a way. But I would say now it's like a Wild West trying to understand who wins and which direction it goes. I don't think it's really good for the young players to get these salaries and this money at the age of 18, it's always a risk. Only the really strong emotionally guys can handle this popularity and all this money and everything. So I hope the storm will go out and we will try to figure out how we keep growing really good European young players.

#### Q: About the possible relationship with Dubai

 Motiejunas: Dubai, we just read that they're going to play ABA League next season. We've been in touch, we are in touch, but everything is currently on hold. Because like Dejan mentioned, we're looking for investors, we're trying to make our own way of defining the future for the league with licenses, with investors and so on. It's more or less our issue as a league, so we continue to talk to them. We really value Mr Abdullah Al-Naboodah, who came with the proposal and the people around him. There's no certainty now for next season, but for sure we want to keep talking and analyzing this opportunity. 

#### Q: What’s next to intrigue the fans?

 Bodiroga: Like we mentioned before, I think that this Play-In brings something. What we have is positive feedback also from the clubs, fans and I think for the next years we will not change, we will not do something new. I think that in the next 3-4 years we will continue to stay with this Play-In. But we are also looking to maybe introduce in the future or we expand maybe some other competition. We will talk about this then. For the moment we will keep this, for the next seasons.

#### Q: About the viewership in the USA on ESPN

Alex Ferrer: We started last season with the playoffs very late. They have been broadcasting all the games this season as well. The numbers will come at the end of the season, so we still don’t have. We know it's been working better and better as the season progressed and people have noticed that the EuroLeague was there. We have one more year with ESPN, but still there's a lot more we have to do. ESPN is a great brand and it's great to have our games there. They have a huge basketball fan base, but there's a lot of work we have to do to promote the games and to promote our stories there beyond just having the games live on ESPN, where there's another thousand live events every week. We are figuring out what we can do in that regard to better promote that and lead people to watch. There's many more and more people watching, not only ESPN, but all the content that we produce around these games. You know that many times some of the content that has gone out has become viral and a lot of people from the States, more players are watching and it caught the attention of a lot of people. We just need to amplify that and make sure we accelerate that growth.

#### Q: About potential merger between EuroCup and BCL

Motiejunas: This is also on the table with FIBA. I don't see a quick solution. I'm not saying we want to take a long time to do it, but the thing that we agree is it's too many competitions, international competitions. That's what we agree on. How do we get them to work together? This is the next step. Honestly, I don't believe it will be solved in the next meeting that we have that I mentioned to you, but it's work in progress and it's, like I said, it's on the table of discussions.

#### Q: About hosting a Final Four in Athens

Motiejunas: We're really happy because finally the clubs have the arena so it's a huge boost. We really believed when I said about the investors that we could send part of the money to make this upgrade much faster. There were no talks but maybe after you post something. We can get in touch with the government and approach and have a discussion. Happy to do it, lovely place would love to move the Final Four there.

#### Q: About finance reality of EuroLeague clubs

Motiejunas: It's a good question. We're working on it and when I say working on it, we already have a full project presented to the clubs and discussed with the clubs. As you know, we had implemented the percentage that the owners are allowed to put in, let's put it this way, and the percentage is going down. So this is still in progress and we are still monetizing on it and controlling it. But the second step is that it's not only the top clubs have to go down and will have a luxury tax like let's say copy NBA. It will not be called luxury tax, but if you overspend you will have to pay out a compensation to the other clubs. So that's one and the other with the bottom clubs also have to invest more. So this is this is the project we are working on and we put everything on hold because we want to discuss this with investors. But I would say it's difficult to imagine that we will start to implement and approve it this year. But for next year, season 2025-26, I would like to push the go button that we start following it. Because clearly our goal is the same. We don't want to risk. We love that the owners are so passionate and they continue to invest, but we want these brands to continue even if they are tired of investing themselves. Sustainability is the future of the league for sure.

#### Q: Is an All-Star game being considered?

Motiejunas: Yeah, an All-Star game, a cup, pre-season tournaments, maybe a regular season game somewhere not in the European market. All these are on the table. And we're doing the calculations. Again, I'm not a big fan of the all-star games, but if it helps the fans, if it helps the product, we for sure would analyze and do it.

#### Q: Why do you think Spanish fans fill arenas in Spain, but don’t come to the Final Four?

Bodiroga: It's a good question. From what I've seen in recent years, I think there is a very good atmosphere in pavilions in Madrid and Barcelona. But I think that in the last few years more and more fans have come from Spain. And we believe that we will see them in the future as well. So I think that it is also a process. And I think that in the future we will be able to see more fans. But I think that this number has grown a lot compared to the last years.

#### Q:  About a license for Virtus Bologna 

Motiejunas: We should look at it as short term and long term. So as mentioned short term, we have to decide. We have five clubs and we have Paris, who want to kick out one of the clubs. And this is for one year. After that, of course, we are looking at, like I explained, maybe a longer wildcard. We are not analyzing now to have more fixed places, more shareholders. The model of three-to-five year wildcards is more appropriate to monetize and to keep us growing. This is the idea that we are sharing with the clubs. And regarding Virtus, we had a meeting, I saw the full project of the arena. Amazing what they're trying to do. Great ownership behind, great people running the club. So it's really, it's proving to be a EuroLeague level club and they deserve a chance to continue. Saying that, so do the other four clubs that I mentioned.

##### Q: About reducing the number of EuroLeague games to improve the product

Motiejunas: We need to get a beer and talk about it. It's quite a long discussion. Listen, I ran the club for almost 16 years. If you ask me, it's so easy to sell out the arena for EuroLeague games. It's so difficult to sell out the arena for domestic league games. So the question is, how do we get the fans to enjoy the best basketball? EuroLeague is the number two league of basketball in the world. Our goal is not to make less games. Our goal is to make more games because that's where the best product is. That's where the fans come to see and that's why the clubs are doing it. So I cannot address domestic leagues. I cannot address windows because this is something that we are trying to solve. But as a league, we are the best product. I'm saying it so confidently because I know we are the best product in Europe and there's no way we're going to back down and say we want less games. This is not economically good for the clubs, like I said, for the ticket sales, for the sponsorships and not good for us as a league. We want to play more. We want to have more competitions. 

#### Q:  Do you know the EuroLeague teams for next year?

Motiejunas: No. We decided that, again, as always, beginning of July, we will approve. We are meeting all the clubs. And it's clear. It's two Serbian, Virtus, Valencia, ALBA. Sadly, somebody will have to go if Paris comes in, when Paris comes in. So it's easy as that. You all know this. There's no decision. We're getting the information. We're talking to all the clubs. I can say clearly it's sad that we have to take this decision because all the teams are worthy to play in EuroLeague, but Paris is something that we always wanted and they're ready and they earned the chance, so it is what it is and it will be a hard decision for the clubs to make because this is what we will present and they will have to vote.

#### Q: About encouraging clubs to play younger players more

 Motiejunas: These are the million dollar questions. I wish I would have the answer. Easy would be if they stop paying in the NBA, stop paying in NCAA, lower the salaries in Japan. Australia would take a timeout and then everybody stays and we’re happy. I don't know if it's possible, but I see this direction. Sorry, I cannot answer in a more smart way. It's quite a problem. I know everybody is trying to solve, but I don't have a magic recipe that would help.

#### Q: About the report that Paris is struggling to raise the minimum budget for the EuroLeague

Motiejunas: We're in talks with David Kahn, trying to help discussing everything 

Alex Ferrer: The minimum budget is 7 million. That applies to all clubs.

#### Q: Why aren’t more young players getting minutes with big clubs?

 Bodiroga: Thank you for remembering these moments. Yes, I was, in that time, 92, it was my first season in Italian championship, it was very strong and also I, in that time, played Korac Cup. And, yeah, in that time I had as the coach Bogdan Tanjevic, who was also a great coach, but who always had courage to give to young players and to believe in young players. In the recent years, I saw also example, maybe because of some coaches and some clubs, because of pressure, they don't have courage to put young players and to give them more minutes in the court. Also we have example of Doncic, how Madrid and Pablo Lasso did with him and Doncic made great with 18 years. And after he got to the NBA; he has an amazing career.

I think that if somebody has talent and quality, I think they need a coach and a club that can support this idea. And for sure, I think this will also be a benefit for the clubs, because I think also fans want to see young players and quality players. We have, you know, this example, as I mentioned, that Doncic, and I think sometimes before we had more courage in Europe to put young players, and I think that now, you know, I think that we have a lot of quality in Europe and they need and deserve the minutes in the court.

#### Q: What's the criteria to define what teams make it to the EuroLeague?

Motiejunas: The criteria is simple. We run the league, we want to make as much financial contribution to the clubs. That's how we present to the clubs. So, key is the markets, key is the TV deals, key is the sponsorship, key is obviously the arenas and the spectators that they bring and the attention that we get. So these are the criteria that we will present to the clubs.

#### Q: About presenting detailed budgets for the league

Motiejunas: You mean us as a league? That's a good idea. Not next season, but the season after that. Let's try it.

#### Q: About plans to improve customer experience

Motiejunas: Like I said in the previous answers, we will take more in-house. I think previously we trusted a lot on the consultancy and hiring companies to do this stuff that we can do ourselves. So we will open that and grow in the team. Me as a CEO, I'm nobody without the team behind me. So me and Dejan can look nice and still we cannot solve all the issues because we're not the experts. We're working on the team, analyzing the team, improving the team. We will grow, like I said, we will grow all together, we will grow separately. That's why I'm here. That's what I did in the club. That's the kind of management system I believe in and I will try to implement it in EuroLeague. I hope you will see the good results in the near future. I wish it would happen faster. It's quite different running the league than running the club. So I'm also trying to smell and see, sadly, but learn from the incidents like yesterday with my own skin. So that's the long answer.

#### Q: About losing players to the NBA

Bodiroga: I think that at the moment, as Paulius mentioned before, they can offer not only in the NBA but in other leagues. I think that many players from EuroLeague can go there and play easily. I think that we have in Europe, the players who stay in Europe, they play for and compete for the trophies. And we are, you know, I think in all our clubs. We have very good players that are playing in Europe and some of them, they are back from the States and they give more quality to our league. But I think that in the future, I think the situation will be even better that we can have much more players that stay in Europe.

#### Q: About final between clubs Bodiroga played for

Bodiroga: I think that we’ll have tomorrow a great final. The two teams who in the regular season, Madrid has during the whole season was the first place and incredible continuity. During the whole season Panathinaikos is something that this year made also great season, great playoff and I expect tomorrow a great final. It will be two teams who take first position after regular season and we expect a great game.

Euroleague Basketball President Dejan Bodiroga and CEO Paulius Motiejunas speak to the media in Berlin

### Rudy Fernandez, Real player

"I think that yesterday's game showed the great level Panathinaikos has reached right now, and I think we are aware of the difficulty of this game, but I believe that we also come off a very solid game, both on defense and offense, taking care of small details. Tomorrow's game will be what you expect from a EuroLeague final, in which we have to very strong mentally at any moment in the game, whether we are playing well or if we struggle at some point, which I am sure it will happen. But we have to have the right mindset, knowing it will be a very long game that will go down to small details. I will try to help my teammates as much as I can. Thankfully, almost everyone comes off a great final last season, which is what gives you experience. We are all aware that we have to play as a team tomorrow, and I hope we can win another title for Real Madrid."

### Alberto Abalde, Real player

"Panathinaikos's main danger is that they have different weapons. I believe they have a lot of generators, but also have Lessort inside, plus a lot of players alongside them. When it comes to generating, Sloukas and Nunn are key, their main players, but I believe they are a deep team that will play very physical. We will have to play a very good game to beat them. This game cannot be compared to anything else. A EuroLeague Championship Game is the biggest game that you can play in European basketball. You cannot explain how it feels to be here and arrive to the Final Four, all the work it takes to even be in a situation like this. You have to work hard for many years to be in this situation, me and my teammates. There are moments of nervousness, fight, but also joy."

### Sergio Rodriguez, Real player

"Panathinaikos is a very different team. Olympiacos is a great defensive team, and Panathinaikos is very competitive, very physical. They also have a lot of talent with decisive players both inside and outside. And well, you are playing for the EuroLeague title. We all have seen the playing level the EuroLeague has, and in a championship game, logically, both teams have a lot of talent. There is a lot of adrenaline, you are here in front of a lot of fans, with your family watching you. You work for this moment all season and try to be very focused, and that should give us confidence to be able to enjoy. We have worked well all season and want to win another title. The two games against Panathinaikos are a strange reference because we had injuries in Athens, and the game in Madrid came right after winning the Copa del Rey. We didn't play at the level we showed for the best part of the season. It will be a tough game, a different one, especially since both teams come off a very good semifinal. They have a lot of talent with players able to decide the game. We have to limit then, because stopping them is almost impossible, and we have to be very careful. We had a fantastic start of the game yesterday, and we have to come out with the same intensity and energy."

### Vincent Poirier, Real player

"It is important to start well, get a good rhythm and keep it throughout the game. We have to have a good feeling early and play defense for all 40 minutes. Panathinaikos is a dangerous team in all aspects of the game. We have to play as a team and when it comes to the paint, prevent them from getting easy shots and stop their pick-and-roll game. On offense, we have to play together and stay together for 40 minutes. It will be a very difficult game, played until the end. The whole team has to be ready to fight. I know how it feels to win a title on the bench. I couldn't play last season and now, I have the opportunity to make an impact in the game. I can't wait to play another final."

### Mario Hezonja, Real player

"This is also great for the EuroLeague at the end of the day. This is why these Final fours are so important for our product, for our basketball that we show to the entire world, to see how everything is so competitive. That is great. I hope the whole arena is filled with green, yellow, red, or white with our fans. It does not matter, as long as it is full and it shows the spirit of our basketball here. They know what they are doing. They are run by a great coach, and what is the most dangerous about them is they all know their role so this makes them an extremely dangerous team. They finished second for a reason."

### Marius Grigonis, Panathinaikos player

"It's a privilege. We are blessed that we are here, and we will try to enjoy the final. But obviously we have to be focused on all the details and everything. But first we have to enjoy this and don't take it for granted. They have a really good team. We have to be aggressive, try to outrun them and be super physical. This is the key. I believe it's just to be better, be physical and then see. Personally, I don't care what happened in the season. It's just one game, and we are here in Berlin."

### Luca Vildoza, Panathinaikos player

"We practiced all season to be here. I feel good physically and mentally, ready to go if I have the chance to step on the court tomorrow and if I don't, helping from the bench. We had a spectacular second half \[against Fenerbahce\]. I wish we can repeat that tomorrow but we know it will be difficult. We are aware of Real's offensive arsenal but we hope to win the game tomorrow. Both teams had a great season to make it here. Both teams deserve to be here, so we will see which side the coin falls tomorrow."

### Juancho Hernangomez, Panathinaikos player

"Anything can happen. We dreamed about this and worked hard all season, so we have to fight it. I was talking to Rudy \[Fernandez\] the other day but in the end, it is a final and there are no friends in the 40 minutes both teams are on the court. No matter what happens, we will keep having a great relationship like we have now, and play together in the national team. In the end, this is something that we have been doing for many years: it is a basketball game, one more. It is more special, being a final, but you have to go out there and give your everything, that's it. We have nothing to lose and will fight for it."

### Jerian Grant, Panathinaikos player

“Real Madrid is a really good offensive team, but we’ve got guys that can score, too, guys that can defend, so they are going to have to match our energy. We are the second seed in all Europe, so if we go out there and play our game, we are confident that we can win. We had a lot of ups and downs this year. We had a brand new team, all guys getting to know each other in September, October. To be where we are today it shows that we’ve got bunch of fighters. I am excited, really excited to have one game to call yourself a champion, everybody is confident and excited.”

Real, Panathinaikos players meet the press before big day

All angles of Chacho's magic assist to Musa

Hear Real Madrid forward Dzanan Musa narrate the magical semifinal play that saw his veteran teammate Sergio "Chacho" Rodriguez throw a behind the back pass at midcourt to free him for game-sealing dunk. "Chacho makes everything easy for us, but even I was surprised," Musa said. "That was the stamp on the game and I was very proud to be in that kind of moment."

Hear Real Madrid forward Dzanan Musa narrate the magical semifinal play that saw his veteran teammate Sergio "Chacho" Rodriguez throw a behind the back pass at mid-court to free him for game-sealing dunk. "Chacho makes everything easy for us, but even I was surprised," Musa said. "That was the stamp on the game and I was very proud to be in that kind of moment."

A day after helping Real Madrid reach the championship game, Fabien Causeur sat down with EuroLeague.net to reflect on the semifinal victory, and discuss the Sunday's biggest game of the season, a clash against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens for all the EuroLeague glory.

Fabien Causeur, Real: 'In these games, you go all in'

A day after helping Real Madrid reach the championship game, [Fabien Causeur](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/euroleague/players/fabien-causeur/001392/) sat down with [EuroLeague.net](http://EuroLeague.net) to reflect on the semifinal victory, and discuss the Sunday's biggest game of the season, a clash against Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens for all the EuroLeague glory.

"Both teams deserve to be in the championship game, it's the first against the second team of the regular season", Causeur said. "Atmosphere will be crazy, just like last year or the year before. I think it is really exciting for a team to play against this crowd."

Playing in his sixth Final Four, more than any other Frenchmen, and aiming for his third EuroLeague title, Causeur has all the experience needed to know well what to expect in the championship game.

"We got to be ready for everything. In these kind of games you go all in and see what happens. It is one game, it can be cruel, like last year for Olympiacos when it led the whole game and we scored at the end. But that's what makes this event amazing."

REAL MADRID FINAL FOUR NEWS

\- Despite sharing a total of 17 EuroLeague titles, Real and Panathinaikos have never met in a EuroLeague Final Four. In their two playoff series since 2000, Real won 3-1 en route to the 2018 title and it swept Panathinaikos 3-0 in 2019.

\- In Round 27, Panathinaikos ended its seven-year drought in Madrid, beating Real 86-97 with Mathias Lessort posting his career highs in points (26) and two-pointers made (12), earning MVP of the Round honors with a PIR of 33.

\- In that Round 27 win, Panathinaikos guard Kendrick Nunn posted his season-best 7 assists.

\- Real beat Panathinaikos 78-90 in Athens in Round 13 behind Mario Hezonja who had 19 points and tied his career high with 4 steals.

\- During the 2020-21 season, Real pulled out a 93-97 double-overtime win in Athens. Walter Tavares combined 20 points and 14 rebounds for a 36 PIR to lead the winners. He won the weekly MVP award with that effort.

\- Real's single-game record for steals is 6, which Charles Smith tied against Panathinaikos Athens in December 2007.

\- Real forward Fabien Causeur scored 26 points and was MVP of the Round with a PIR of 29 when Real beat Panathinaikos 92-75 in March 2018.

\- Real swingman Mario Hezonja played at Panathinaikos for the second part of the 2020-21 season, helping the Greens win the Greek championship. He was a teammate of Ioannis Papapetrou and Konstantinos Mitoglou.

\- Panathinaikos guard Luca Vildoza and Real point guard Facundo Campazzo were teammates at Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade last season.

\- Vildoza has also been a teammate of Campazzo and Real forward Gabriel Deck on the Argentinian national team. Together they won the silver medal at the 2019 Basketball World Cup.

\- Panathinaikos forward Juancho Hernangomez has been a teammate of Real's Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Llull on the Spanish national team. They all won the gold medal at the 2019 World Cup, while Hernangomez and Fernendez won the gold medal at EuroBasket 2022.

\- Hernangomez was also a teammate of Sergio Rodriguez on the Spanish national team, winning the bronze medal together at EuroBasket 2017.

\- Panathinaikos center Mathias Lessort and Real center Vincent Poirier have been teammates on the French national team. Together they won bronze medals at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

\- Panathinaikos center Mathias Lessort was a teammate of Real's Guerschon Yabusele on the French national team at the 2023 World Cup.

\- Facundo Campazzo set his career highs in rebounds (7) and steals (5) in Game 2 of the 2019 playoffs against Panathinaikos.

\- Walter Tavares posted his career high of 8 offensive rebounds twice against Panathinaikos, both times in Athens; first in December 2019 and again in March 2022.

\- Real guard Alberto Abalde had his career-high index rating of 24 in a double-overtime win over Panathinaikos in December 2020 in Athens.

\- Real Madrid's Sergio Llull scored a career-high 30 points when Real edged Panathinaikos 87-84 in November 2016.

\- Real center Vincent Poirier set his career high in steals with 4 playing for Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz against Panathinaikos in November 2017.